Tating, Marvel E.

BSIT - 3E
1. Define the ff. and give examples.
Exploratory Research
Exploratory research, as the name implies, intends merely to explore the research questions and
does not intend to offer final and conclusive solutions to existing problems. This type of research
is usually conducted to study a problem that has not been clearly defined yet.
Examples:
 A study into the role of social networking sites as an effective marketing communication channel
 An investigation into the ways of improvement of quality of customer services within hospitality
sector in London
 An assessment of the role of corporate social responsibility on consumer behaviour in
pharmaceutical industry in the USA

Descriptive Research
Descriptive research can be explained as a statement of affairs as they are at present with the
researcher having no control over variable. Moreover, “descriptive studies may be characterised
as simply the attempt to determine, describe or identify what is, while analytical research attempts
to establish why it is that way or how it came to be”
Descriptive studies are closely associated with observational studies, but they are not limited
with observation data collection method. Case studies and surveys can also be specified as
popular data collection methods used with descriptive studies.
Examples:
 What are the most effective intangible employee motivation tools in hospitality industry in the
21stcentury?
 What is the impact of viral marketing on consumer behaviour in consumer amongst university
students in Canada?
 Do corporate leaders of multinational companies in the 21stcentury possess moral rights to receive
multi-million bonuses?
 What are the main distinctive traits of organisational culture of McDonald’s USA?
 What is the impact of the global financial crisis of 2007 – 2009 on fitness industry in the UK?

Analytical Research
Analytical Research attempts to establish why it is that way or how it came to be. The analytical research usually
concerns itself with cause-effect relationships.
Examples:
 How can the number of complaints made by customers be reduced?
 How can the absentee rate among employees be reduced?
 Predictive Research
A predictive model is simply an equation used to predict something. Predictive modeling is a process used in predictive
analytics to create a statistical model of future behavior. Predictive analytics is the area of data mining concerned with
forecasting probabilities and trends.
Example:
 What products have the potential to become my most valuable products?

Quantitative Research
Quantitative methods emphasize objective measurements and the statistical, mathematical, or
numerical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, or by manipulating
pre-existing statistical data using computational techniques. Quantitative research focuses on
gathering numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people or to explain a particular
phenomenon.
Examples:
 The Impact of Using Word Walls in Teaching Fifth Graders Content Vocabulary in Science.
 Using Online Reading Sources in a Grade Ten History Class to Advance Students' Use of
Multiple Perspectives in Writing Essay Responses.
 Using Competitive Flashcard Games to Improve Memory for Math Facts in Special Education.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is designed to reveal a target audience’s range of behavior and the
perceptions that drive it with reference to specific topics or issues. It uses in-depth studies of
small groups of people to guide and support the construction of hypotheses. The results of
qualitative research are descriptive rather than predictive.
Qualitative research methods originated in the social and behavioral sciences: sociology,
anthropology and psychology. Today, qualitative methods in the field of marketing research
include in-depth interviews with individuals, group discussions (from two to ten participants is
typical); diary and journal exercises; and in-context observations. Sessions may be conducted in
person, by telephone, via videoconferencing and via the Internet.
Examples:
 How do elderly people living in a retirement home perceive their situation and how are they
dealing with it?
 How does the image of the ideal man influences the male population between the ages 20 and
35?
 What are the special challenges that students who are born in Germany and have an immigrant
background face?

Basic/Applied Research
 Applied research “aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society, or an
industrial/business organisation, whereas fundamental research is mainly concerned with
generalisations and with the formulation of a theory”. Applied research is considered to be non-
systematic inquiry and it is usually launched by a company, agency or an individual in order to
address a specific problem.
Examples:
 A critical analysis of product placement as an effective marketing strategy
 An investigation into the main elements of brands and branding
 A study of factors impacting each stage of product life cycle

Fundamental research, also known as basic research or pure research does not usually
generate findings that have immediate applications in a practical level. Fundamental research is
driven by curiosity and the desire to expand knowledge in specific research area. This type of
research makes a specific contribution to the academic body of knowledge in the research area.
Fundamental studies tend to make generalizations about the phenomenon, and the philosophy of
this type of studies can be explained as ‘gathering knowledge for the sake of knowledge’.
Fundamental researches mainly aim to answer the questions of why, what or how and they tend to
contribute the pool of fundamental knowledge in the research area.
Opposite to fundamental research is applied research that aims to solve specific problems, thus
findings of applied research do have immediate practical implications.
Examples:
 A study into the ways of improving the levels of customer retention for Wall-Mart in China
 An investigation into the ways of improving employee motivation in Marriot Hotel, Hyde Park
 Development of strategies to introduce change in Starbucks global supply-chain management
with the view on cost reduction

Deductive/Inductive Research
Inductive approach
Inductive approach is a hypothesis is derived from existing theory and the empirical world is then explored, and data
are collected, in order to test the hypothesis.
Examples:

 Every quiz has been easy. Therefore, the test will be easy.
 The teacher used PowerPoint in the last few classes. Therefore, the teacher will use PowerPoint tomorrow.

Deductive approach
Deductive approach is where the researcher begins with as few preconceptions as possible, allowing theory to
emerge from the data.
Examples:
 All men are mortal. (major premise)
 Socrates is a man. (minor premise)
 Therefore, Socrates is mortal. (conclusion)

2. Research Methodology
Survey Method
The essence of survey method can be explained as “questioning individuals on a topic or topics
and then describing their responses”. In business studies survey method of primary data collection
is used in order to test concepts, reflect attitude of people, establish the level of customer
satisfaction, conduct segmentation research and a set of other purposes. Survey method can be
used in both, quantitative, as well as, qualitative studies.
Examples:

 A randomly selected sample of rural county police and sheriff's departments (rural
counties).
 A randomly selected sample of police departments serving cities with populations
between 2,500 and 25,000 (small cities).
 All police departments serving cities with populations of more than 25,000 (large cities).

Experimental Study

Experimental research is commonly used in sciences such as sociology and psychology,

physics, chemistry, biology and medicine etc. It is a collection of research designs which use
manipulation and controlled testing to understand causal processes. Generally, one or more
variables are manipulated to determine their effect on a dependent variable.

Longitudinal studies
Longitudinal research is used to study individuals at different stages in their lives. One group is
studied over many years. Learn more about longitudinal research through examples and test your
knowledge with quiz questions.
In a longitudinal study subjects are followed over time with continuous or repeated monitoring of
risk factors or health outcomes, or both. Such investigations vary enormously in their size and
complexity. At one extreme a large population may be studied over decades. For example, the
longitudinal study of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys prospectively follows a 1%
sample of the British population that was initially identified at the 1971 census. Outcomes such
as mortality and incidence of cancer have been related to employment status, housing, and other
variables measured at successive censuses. At the other extreme, some longitudinal studies
follow up relatively small groups for a few days or weeks. Thus, firemen acutely exposed to
noxious fumes might be monitored to identify any immediate effects.
Cross-Sectional Research
Cross-sectional research is used to examine one variable in different groups that are similar in all
other characteristics.
If you wanted to know if the percentage of women diagnosed with breast cancer increases with
age, how would you go about answering this question? One way you could find the answer is to
look at three groups of women who are similar but of different ages. Let's say your three age
groups are 20-35 years, 36-50 years, and 51-65 years. You can then calculate the percentage of
women in each group that have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This information can then be
used to answer your question.
This is an example of cross-sectional research. Cross-sectional research involves using different
groups of people who differ in the variable of interest but share other characteristics, such as
socioeconomic status, educational background, and ethnicity.
In the example above, the variable of interest was age because you wanted to see if any changes
were noticed in groups of different ages. By looking at similar women in different age groups,
you can assume that any differences between groups can be attributed to age difference rather
than another factor.

Case Studies
Case studies can be produced by following a formal research method. These case studies are
likely to appear in formal research venues, as journals and professional conferences, rather than
popular works. The resulting body of 'case study research' has long had a prominent place in
many disciplines and professions, ranging from psychology, anthropology, sociology, and
political science to education, clinical science, social work, and administrative science.
In doing case study research, the "case" being studied may be an individual, organization, event,
or action, existing in a specific time and place. For instance, clinical science has produced both
well-known case studies of individuals and also case studies of clinical practices. However,
when "case" is used in an abstract sense, as in a claim, a proposition, or an argument, such a case
can be the subject of many research methods, not just case study research. Case studies may
involve both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Action Research
Action research can be defined as “an approach in which the action researcher and a client
collaborate in the diagnosis of the problem and in the development of a solution based on the
diagnosis”. In other words, one of the main characteristic traits of action research relates to
collaboration between researcher and member of organisation in order to solve organizational
problems.
Action study assumes social world to be constantly changing, both, researcher and research being
one part of that change.

Ethnography
The qualitative research methodology known as 'Ethnography' is built upon the social science
specialism known as 'Anthropology'. An ethnographic research study is one that studies people
in their natural environment. It is a descriptive account of social life and culture within a defined
social system, and is often thought of as 'a portrait of a people'.

In effect, it is concerned with a holistic view of a culture - including its shared meanings,
patterns and experiences.

Participatory Research

Participatory research comprises a range of methodological approaches and techniques, all with
the objective of handing power from the researcher to research participants, who are often
community members or community-based organisations. In participatory research, participants
have control over the research agenda, the process and actions. Most importantly, people
themselves are the ones who analyse and reflect on the information generated, in order to obtain
the findings and conclusions of the research process.

Participatory research involves inquiry, but also action. People not only discuss their problems,
they also think about possible solutions to them and actions which need to be taken. The research
conducted by the Participatory Research Group (PRG) aims to influence decision-making
processes and impact peoples’ lives locally and nationally. The challenge is that the views of the
most marginalised people are by definition largely absent in public forums, which further excludes
them and in turn amplifies the perspectives of the more powerful groups. Bringing these people
and perspectives into policy processes is not a straightforward task. Participatory research is one
way that these perspectives can be articulated, and yet there are many challenges in how to do this
well.

Feminist Perspective

The feminist method is a means of conducting of scientific investigations and generating theory
from an explicitly feminist standpoint. Feminist methodologies are varied, but tend to have a few
common aims or characteristics, including seeking to overcome biases in research, bringing about
social change, displaying human diversity, and acknowledging the position of the researcher.
Questioning normal scientific reasoning is another form of the feminist method. Each of these
methods must consist of different parts including: collection of evidence, testing of theories,
presentation of data, and room for rebuttals.How research is scientifically backed up affects the
results. Like consciousness raising, some feminist methods affect the collective emotions of
women, when things like political statistics are more of a structural result When knowledge is
either constructed by experiences, or discovered, it needs to both be reliable and valid.

Grounded Theory
Grounded theory (GT) is a systematic methodology in the social sciences involving the
construction of theory through methodic gathering and analysis of data. Grounded theory is a
research methodology which operates inductively, in contrast to the hypothetico-
deductive approach. A study using grounded theory is likely to begin with a question, or even
just with the collection of qualitative data. As researchers review the data collected, repeated
ideas, concepts or elements become apparent, and are tagged with codes, which have been
extracted from the data. As more data is collected, and re-reviewed, codes can be grouped into
concepts, and then into categories. These categories may become the basis for new theory. Thus,
grounded theory is quite different from the traditional model of research, where the researcher
chooses an existing theoretical framework, and only then collects data to show how the theory
does or does not apply to the phenomenon under study.